Dive Brief:
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Aloe vera gel sold at Wal-Mart, Target and CVS reportedly contains no evidence of aloe vera whatsoever, according to an investigation by Bloomberg News.
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Aloe vera, a plant often used to sooth burns, contains three chemical markers: acemannan, malic acid and glucose. The products instead contained aloe vera-mimicking sugar, according to independent lab tests commissioned by Bloomberg. One such product sold by Walgreens did contain malic acid.
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Target declined to comment on the findings, while Wal-Mart, CVS Health and Walgreens said their suppliers confirmed the authenticity of the products. A number of aloe vera producers disputed the lab’s methods for detecting aloe, according to the report.
Dive Insight:
Aside from the fact that the extent of aloe vera’s actual healing properties is itself in question, there are allegedly numerous products on store shelves that contain little or no aloe, and some consumers have already filed lawsuits against manufacturers and retailers over the matter.
If the lab tests commissioned by Bloomberg hold up, that problem could get worse. The issue is akin to the troubles of retailers selling vitamins and other supplements found to contain inert and even harmful substances, rather than the ingredients purporting to be healthy. Last year New York’s attorney general’s office sent cease-and-desist letters to GNC, Target, Walgreens and Wal-Mart demanding they remove several herbal supplements from shelves that it said are fraudulent and possibly dangerous.
Like e-commerce sites selling counterfeit goods, these retailers risk losing the trust of their customers if word gets out that these products don't contain the key ingredient they market.
One clue to the authenticity of the aloe vera products is price: Getting enough real aloe vera gel into a tub is a painstaking process, and it takes a lot of gel from the plant to fill a tube or bottle like those sold at these retailers. Cheaper products are less likely to contain helpful amounts, sources told Bloomberg. Alternatively, consumers could simply buy an actual aloe vera plant, which although difficult to take traveling, is guaranteed to contain the chemical components desired for treating minor burns.
